The target group of this project, people 55+, increase in all European countries. We live in aging societies. In this process the group of elder people does differentiate by very different living situations and concepts of life as well as different cultural and religious imprints: early retired people; unemployed elder beings; elders in Life Long Learning Institutions; workaholic elders who need reorientation; elders that feel abandoned and are in the risk of social exclusion such as minorities, immigrants, refugees etc. Characteristic for more or less all European countries is that a growing part of the 55+ are endangered to become separated/ excluded. Social isolation and loneliness in older adults are substantial public health problems, lead increasingly to illness and often to unnecessary health care utilization. Interventions such as peer support, volunteerism, physical activity, arts and recreation- based activities may consequently improve health and well- being. At the same time in many countries of Europe there is a luck of organizations that focusing specially on that age group To deal with this multiplicity is a challenge for the whole society. Especially concerning Culture and Education specific offers have to consider life experiences and life conditions of the generation 55+ to improve the chances of cultural and social participation. Due to this project citizens from different countries, cultures and traditions through cultural activities (dances, arts, theatre, photography, cooking, etc), ICT and foreign languages intend to develop intercultural consciousness, limit the prejudices and highlight the commons. This is of high relevance, because the engagement with Arts, ICT, Language and Culture is for many elder people the opening for new opportunities in participation and higher quality of life The main aim of this program is to reinforce people at 55+ to adapt an active, healthy, creative and successful way of living. The objectives concerning a) citizens of 55+ are: to enrich cultural awareness and heritage, enhance personal development, group cohesion, socialization and sense of belonging and b) trainers/staff are to exchange ideas, experiences, good practices, reinforce cooperation and improve management competencies and internationalization strategies. The partners of this project- 7 organizations from Greece, Italy, Germany, Bulgaria, Georgia- are expertise on the fields of Arts, Culture, ICT with seniors and are willing to be innovative in giving seniors some tools and resources from their shared experiences and practices The project aims to reach out to the widest possible audience inside (>600) or outside the project (>1500), in particular local communities and regions. For the achievement of the project there will be a precise planning with a clear division of responsibilities and detailed control and coordination. Each partner will determine from the outset who will be responsible for each action and will receive frequent feedback on the process. The coordinator will supervise and be responsible for information such as exact timetable, funding, agreements etc. Five transnational meetings will be used to establish face to face contact, review the project progress and for training and work shop purposes. Each meeting will be reported by the coordinator. At the first phase questionnaires focusing on Clarification of the needs and the expectations, Cultural Awareness, Quality of life will be given to point out the profile of the target group. The design and implementation of the activities concerning Arts (Folklore Dance, Painting, Theatre etc.) Culture, Language and ICT will be conducted by each partner. A variety of events such as Performances, visits in Museums etc. are going to be held. On line courses, webinars, digital games etc. are going to be conducted as well. All these activities and events are going to be recording and evaluated by each organization. Good Practices will be selected and as a result, a Compendium of Good Practices will be published. This Compendium will be available online on the project's website, on the partner organizations' websites and fb pages and thus, available to many people inside and outside this project. An online platform for this project with all the material will be installed. A list of members will be created, information and possible involvement of other organizations and associations will be empowered. Another expected result of this project is to create an EU network of seniors to keep up with traditional culture, be familiar with an active way of living and gain well-being. In addition, the creation of a network of professionals/staff to promote communication, cohesion and exchanging of professional skills. This could be a prerequisite for designing a new European project Partnership Strategies that would involve intercourse and interaction between the stakeholders with multiplier events and intellectual outputs.
The main aim of this program is to encourage people at the age of 55 and above to adopt an active, healthy, creative and successful way of living. The objectives are: a) citizens of 55+: to enrich cultural awareness and heritage, maintain emotional expression and relief, cultivate creativity and expressiveness, acquire new hobbies and find out new interests and meaning in daily life, develop psychosocial and soft horizontal life skills as well as digital skills, enhance personal development, well-being, group cohesion, communication and collaboration, socialization, and sense of belonging. b) trainers/staff were to exchange ideas, experiences, good practices, reinforce cooperation and improve management competencies and internationalization strategies.
In the growing competitive society we live in, there is a great increase in aging and a need to support people aged 55+ to adopt a more active lifestyle by engaging in alternative forms of creative use of their free time. People 55+ show great disparity due to life experiences, socio-economic situations, different cultural and religious environments (unemployed elderly, early retirees, adult learners, etc.). In all European countries, an ever-increasing percentage of the 55+ feel abandoned and at risk of social exclusion (minorities, immigrants, refugees, etc.). Social isolation and loneliness in the elderly are substantial public health problems, increasingly leading to illness and often requiring health care provision. At the same time, in many European countries there is a luck of organizations focusing exclusively on this age group. There is a need for an exchange of expertise, experience and knowledge between organizations and staff involved in providing services to older people. Expanding their professional skills and adopting alternative methods and tools will strengthen their professional profile and contribute to the quality upgrade of their work.